Disasters

Kerala on High Alert as depression in Arabian Sea intensifies

Situation in Kerala has intensified as authorities have been placed on alert and fishermen advised not to venture into the sea after IMD reports on the formation of a depression over southeast Arabian Sea and adjoining area moving slightly north-westwards...

Preparations on in full swing across Haryana for mock earthquake drill

The more climate change effects are overwhelming the earth, natural disasters are also coming in more dangerous form. Haryana will host an earthquake mock exercise for better preparedness on December 21. With 3 days left for the exercise, preparations are in full swing. This is the first State-level Mock Exercise on earthquake covering all districts of the State...

Haryana to host mock earthquake drill for better preparedness

With the change in climate, the rise in global warming natural disasters are also becoming more powerful. The National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) is also taking more actions for better preparedness. Now NDMA will hold the first State-level Mock Exercise on the earthquake in Haryana for better response mechanism...

Chandrababu Naidu orders probe in Vijayawada tragedy

Taking a serious cognizance of the tragic river accident that took place at Pavitrasangamam in river Krishna, Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu has constituted a probe panel to investigate the horrifying mishap where 20 people have lost their life...

Rail traffic interrupted in eastern Bihar due to heavy rain

Due to the heavy rains from Tuesday night, the Rail traffic in Bihar has been interrupted in the eastern parts of the state. Kajra Station’s rail track has been flooded with the rainwater which led to the rail services disrupt in Bihar...

‘Pralay Sahayam’ conducted to tackle urban flooding scenarios

The final event of Pralay Sahayam was conducted on the banks of Hussain Sagar Lake in Hyderabad on Saturday. A multi-agency exercise, National Disaster Relief Force (NDRF) and the Armed Forces towards jointly tackled an urban flooding scenario...

After a long period of misery, the flood situation in Bihar has started to show the positive signs of improvement. As per a report from State’s Disaster Management department report no casualty in the flood affected areas is reported. In several places, water is also receding...

Monsoon Mayhem & Media Madness

On 29th August 2017 people were suffering the Monsoon Mayhem out in the open. But, those who were lucky enough to escape the floods reached home to suffer from Media Madness. This gave me a glimpse of what is wrong with news channels in India, particularly English. Motto seems to be - Spread negativity even when citizens are suffering from nature’s wrath. They feel it gives them TRP...

Flood victims from Bihar to receive one month’s free ration from state govt

Bihar flood situation is badly affecting the daily life of citizens from the flood-affected areas. The death toll due to floods has risen to 361.To help the people in misery Bihar state government has announced to provide a month's ration and other necessary material will be provided to flood victims soon. Prime Minister Narendra Modi will take an aerial survey of the flood-hit areas of the state on Saturday...

Nitish Kumar meets officials in North Bihar, conducts aerial survey in flood-affected area

Flood situation in Bihar remains grim. The death toll has risen to 56 and the number of flood affected people reached almost 70 lakhs. According to the latest report, 98 blocks and 1,070 panchayats in the state have been engulfed by the flood. In Wednesday morning, Bihar’s Chief Minister Nitish Kumar has reached Northern Bihar to conduct the survey. Four more teams of NDRF are have been airlifted from Bhatinda to Patna...

Ministry of Water Resources warns of rapid rise in water levels of rivers in some states

When the rain entered this year, it brought misfortune for a large part of the country due to heavy rains. Already a large part of North East, Gujarat, Bengal is facing the flood-like situation. In such context, India Meteorological Department released a rainfall forecast warning heavy to heavy rains in East Madhya Pradesh, North Chhattisgarh, East Rajasthan and heavy to very heavy falls at isolated places in West Madhya Pradesh, Jharkhand, north Madhya Maharashtra, Gujarat on July 28 and 29. This ..

Flood-like situation badly hits agriculture in Bengal

The situation aroused by flood in Bengal is not only causing death but also harming agriculture sector badly. According to local media reports, 20lakh people have been affected already. A large area of Birbhum, Hooghly, Burdwan, Medinipur districts are already under water. With the decline in the flood-like situation, the agricultural sector is facing increased loss...

Get Earthquake Alerts! Science Dept comes up with smart ways like ‘Quake’ and ‘Sagar Vani’ apps

New mobile applications ‘Quake’ and ‘Sagar Vani’ that will alert people regarding future calamities in land and water. Earth Sciences Minister Harsh Vardhan launched these applications which will provide information regarding timing, the intensity of an earthquake...

Prime Minister Narendra Modi today chaired the high-level review meeting on the sidelines of massive floods in the state of Gujarat. He took the stock of various issues in the flood hit area of Banaskantha district...

Swift action by IAF, NDRF, State police gives lease of life to thousands affected in Gujarat flood

More than 30 thousand people shifted to safer places following heavy Rain and flood in Gujarat. Incessant rains in some districts of Saurashthra and Surendranagar since Friday evening in Gujarat have been wreaking havoc that has left hundreds stranded...

The 2011 nuclear disaster in Fukushima is World’s second largest disaster after Chebril. After six years of the disaster, the underwater robot which is probing the no.3 reactor of Fukushima power plant has spotted fuel wreckage for the first time. Images captured by the robot have shown massive deposits believed to be melted nuclear fuel covering the floor of the damaged reactor...

Want to know ‘Do’s and Don’ts’ before or during flood havocs, read here!

Concerning about the flood situation in various part of India, National Disaster Management Authority had come up with various safety measures to inform and educate people about the does and don’ts before or during the flood...

As many as 30 people were killed and 9 others injured in an unfortunate accident that took place in Shimla district on Thursday morning. Notably, a private bus met with an accident while it was traveling to Solan from Recong Peo fell into a deep gorge in Shimla district. The incident took place 125 km away from Shimla in Himachal Pradesh...

The flood hit Southwestern Japan starts constructing temporary homes

Japan always makes history when it comes to recovery. The nation which was badly affected in World War II turned out to be one of the largest economies of World in less than 50 years. In the same manner, the southwestern Japan which was hit by a massive flood in last week has started construction of temporary homes. The flood killed 34 and injured several...

Unfortunate! 47 Amarnath pilgrims died due to terror attacks, accidents and health reasons in 18 days

Due to terror attacks, several accidents and health reasons at least 47 Amarnath pilgrims lost their lives in just a time period of 18 days. However, till Tuesday, Amarnath Shrine board had spent Rs14,66,975 on transportation and Rs1,34,75,000 towards ex-Gratia payments...

Not only Northeastern states but also Odisha is suffering from the heavy rain that triggered flash floods in parts of Rayagada and Kalahandi districts in Odisha on Sunday. Now the flood situation in these districts has improved slightly this morning as river Kalyani and Nagavali start receding...

At least 15 persons have lost their lives while six others are still missing in just 3 days due to torrential rain and flood like situation in several parts of Gujarat. Notably, Gujarat’s Jamnagar district, Saurashtra, Kutch has been affected most by heavy rains. Major rail networks and dozens of highways in the State have been interrupted by flood waters. Electricity to more than 120 villages has been cut in badly-hit areas...

A football match in weekend turned out a big tragic accident in Senegal. A wall collapsed onto clashing supporters at Demba Diop Stadium. After the game between local teams, Ouakam and Stade de Mbour people were leaving the stadium. Then the wall collapse created panic and triggered a stampede. 8 people have been killed during the match. ..

Over 12 Lakh people are suffering from Assam floods; death troll reached 59

Assam is suffering from heavy rain and flood issues. As on Saturday, the Assam recorded that at least 12 Lakh people in 24 districts of Assam continued to reel under floods and the death toll reached to 59. The flood situation is slightly improved in the state but officials claim that over half of Kaziranga National Park was submerged and over 70 animals have died...

Centre asks ISRO to help identify flood-hit regions in Northeast

To assess the damages caused by floods or landslides in Northeast, Development of North Eastern Region (DoNER) Minister Dr Jitendra Singh chaired a review meeting on Thursday. He noted that the Central Government is committed to provide all kind of support to the State Governments in rescue and relief operations...

Massive fire in windowless house claims life of 10 Indians in Saudi Arabia

At least ten Indians are killed and six others injured after a windowless house caught into the massive fire in Najran which is 900kms from Saudi Arabia’s capital Jeddah on Thursday. However, one Bangladeshi national also died in the fire...

Japan PM Abe cuts down time from European tour, visits flood-hit southwest Japan

The heavy pouring torrential rain has devastated the southwestern Japan with a massive flood. At least 25 lives have been taken away with the overflowing river. As 20 people are still missing, the rescue action is in progress. Since the disaster has started, Japan PM Shinzo Abe had his first visit to the area on Wednesday...

National Forum on Crowd Management was kicked off to develop strategies for preventing stampedes

To mark World Population Day, two-day National level Conference on Crowd Management kicked off in Kerala which discussed the best practices and use of technology and media; also to develop crowd management strategies and prevent stampedes that lead to heavy loss of life. ..

Tokyo, July 9: A massive flood has devastated the normal life of southwestern Japan’s main island of Kyushu. Started from early part of this week, the heavy rain continues till now. The death toll has risen to 18. The rescue team is continuing their search for survivors. The torrential rain and the overflowing rivers have caused heavy amount of damage. People have been evacuated from residential areas. Victims have taken shelter in school gyms and public buildings. But many of them are stranded. ..

Assam flood situation grim, 19 killed, thousands marooned

Assam yet to get relief; around 39, 000 people left homeless due to flood

Almost 39,753 people of Assam have been affected and fourteen districts of the state are in water due to the grip of floods. The recent scenario has forced the state government to open 128 relief camps with Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal taking stock of the situation...

Technology has advanced a lot with time but natural calamity cannot be prevented with any technology. With the heavy torrential rain, the southwestern Japan is devastated by a massive flood. Followed by the flood, mudslides have been caused by the rain. According to local people, at least 11 people are missing. The number may be increased with the time as search and rescue operations. The Japanese government dispatched about 7,500 personnel, consisting of police officers, firefighters, and Self-Defense ..

Pema Khandu releases ‘Red Alert’ against landslides in Arunachal

Concerning about continuous heavy rainfall in the Arunachal Pradesh which led to landslides in the past one week, Chief Minister Pema Khandu has issued a red alert in the state. In the wake of the incessant rain in the state, Khandu appealed the citizens to stay alert and remain prepared. The landslides have been creating havoc in most of the districts in the state...

Monsoon has started showing its effect at many parts of the country. In Northeast, Assam state is facing hazardous effect of rain as more than two lakh people are reeling under the impact of floods in eight districts. The swirling flood waters have overrun several villages. The Assam State Disaster Management Authority (ASDMA) released a report which says that over 2.68 lakh people have been affected in Barpeta, Lakhimpur, Jorhat, Karimganj, Cachar, Dhemaji, Karbi Anglong and Biswanath districts of ..

9 dead, 28 missing as tourist boat sinks in Colombia

At least nine people were dead and 28 others went missing in a tragic incident in northwest Colombia. A boat carrying as many as 170 tourists capsized in a El Penol reservoir near Medellin on Sunday. The reason for the mishap is not yet known...

Death toll in Bahawalpur oil tanker fire rises to 153

Deadly forest fire in Spain forces 1,500 people to flee the neighbourhood

A major forest fire in southern Spain has forced the evacuation of more than 1,500 people from homes, campsites and hotels. The blaze broke out on Saturday night near Huelva in the Andalusia region. Emergency services had deployed 11 planes, 10 helicopters and dozens of land vehicles against the flames in a joint military-civilian operation. About 750 people are being housed temporarily in sports centres. ..

Over 100 people, 40 houses feared buried alive in China landslide

More than 100 people are feared buried in a landslide in Sichuan province in S Western China. About 40 homes were destroyed in Xinmo village, Maoxian County, after the side of a mountain collapsed. A rescue operation is currently underway to try to locate and rescue the missing...

NE still severe under ‘heavy’ rainfall: Indian Army rescued 200 civilians in Arunachal Pradesh

On Monday over 200 civilians including 50 children were rescued by the Indian Army who were stranded due to massive landslides that caused due to heavy incessant rainfall in North East regions. Indian Army rescued the people who were stranded in West Kameng district. ..

London fire death toll might rise up to 80; PM Theresa May to give out $6.4mn to survivors

Grenfell tower fire is one of the worst fire outbreaks that Britain has ever seen. The building is so charred that the fire officials say that it might collapse. This also indicates that if there were people trapped inside the building then finding a body will be way difficult. A list of those missing based on accounts of friends and survivors reached around 80 people, including 30 confirmed dead...

US Navy Ship met accident off Japan coast; 7 sailors still missing

Fitzgerald, U.S. Navy's guided-missile destroyer met an accident off the coast of Japan. Seven U.S. Navy sailors are missing due to the accident. The ship collided with a Filipino container vessel off Yokosuka, south of Tokyo. Approximate time of the accident is 2:30 a.m. local time, June 17. Three of the crew members are injured. This accident has caused damage and flooding. ..

Bus accident takes away two lives and injures several on Howrah Bridge; overtaking trait needs an end

Today did not go well for busy Calcutta people. A bus accident on Howrah Bridge took way two lives. Overtaking is an evil disease of bus drivers in Kolkata. Every year so many passengers become the victim of an accident due to overtaking. Today the bus overturned and hit a road divider while it was trying to overtake another bus...

British PM May orders full inquiry related to London Tower Fire

British Prime Minister Theresa May has ordered a full public inquiry into the fire that engulfed a west London block of flats, killing at least 17 people. The Prime Minister said people deserve answers as to why the fire spread so rapidly. ..

North East has been affected very badly this year due to heavy rainfall. People along with their homes have been drowned in the floods. Over this the Centre is severely monitoring the flood situation in the northeastern states and is ready to offer all necessary help...

At least ten pilgrims were killed and fifty others wounded after a private bus fell down into a deep gorge near Dhaliara, some 60 km from Dharamshala town in Kangra district on Thursday. Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh has expressed his condolences and assured help to the victims...

12 dead and 18 critical in Grenfell Tower blaze

In Britain, at least 12 people died after a huge fire, which engulfed a 24-storey block of flats in West London on Wednesday. More than 200 firefighters, backed up by 40 fire engines, fought for hours to try to control the blaze, London's deadliest for a generation. ..

As monsoon has been hitting hard this year, North East has become the victim of it. In a tragic incident, over 400 houses have been submerged due to incessant rains throughout the Northeast. Till now at least eight people have been killed and six are missing after flash floods caused by heavy rainfall wreaked havoc in Tlabung in Mizoram’s Lunglei district...

London seems to be deep trouble with back-to-back terrorist attacks and now, this fire break out. A huge fire has raged in Grenfell Tower, West London. 200 firefighters are trying to soothe down the fire but everything goes in vain. The tower block is 24 storeys high and contains 200 flats which are all blazed away. Speculations are that the building had started burning from tenth floor...

Heavy rains and landslides in south-east Bangladesh have killed 130 people, most of them buried under landslides. The victims include at least 39 women and 22 children. The number of casualties is expected to increase as relief workers reach remote parts of the affected area. Many of the dead were from the tribal communities in the district of Rangamati, close to the Indian border...

Aegean earthquake shakes buildings in Greece and Turkey; one dead and several injured

An earthquake of 6.2 magnitude shook the Western Turkey and Greece. At least 10 people were injured and one was declared dead in the natural calamity. The epicenter of the quake was about 84 km (52 miles) northwest of the Turkish coastal city of Izmir and 15 km south of Lesbos. The National Observatory of Athens put it slightly lower at 6.1...

Badrinath Chopper Crash kills engineer by rotors; 2 pilots injured

1 person was killed and 7 others injured when an eight-seater chopper crashed near the Badrinath shrine in Uttarakhand on Saturday morning, police said. The Mumbai-based aviation company's chopper was carrying a pilgrim family back to Haridwar from the shrine after their 'darshan' when the accident took place...

Before some days, Cape Town was experiencing a severe drought. The capital of South Africa was waiting for the rain to recover from the drought. The usable water in the dams of the city is now at 9.6%.But unfortunately, the long –awaited rain came with a storm with the speed of 70 km per hour. Forecasters predicted this will be the worst storm to hit the city in three decades...

States should implement best practices of other states to tackle natural disasters: Rajnath Singh

With intelligence, power, science, technology the human race can control anything but nature. Natural calamities, disasters can appear anywhere anytime without giving a single hint. Hence effective system for disaster management is very important. National Disaster Response Force( NDRF) has organized a two-day conference on “Capacity Building of SDRFs-2017”. Home Minister Rajnath Singh inaugurated the conference. It is for the first time in the last few years that, such a national level conference ..

Sri Lanka toll rises to 164; Cyclone heads towards Bangladesh

Sri Lanka has been battling with heavy rainfall, floods and landslides over the past few days. The death toll due to this natural calamity has risen to 164 by early Monday morning, and is expected to rise over the next couple of days...

BIG ALERT! Cyclonic storm ‘MORA’ to hit India soon

The Indian Meteorological Department has warned that a deep depression over the Bay of Bengal is turning into a tropical cyclone. The storm ‘MORA’ could hit anytime within next 24 hours. The IMD further said that depression could further the advance of southwest monsoon into some parts of southeast Arabian Sea, southwest Bay of Bengal and east central Bay of Bengal. ..

Maharashtra CM safe after chopper met with an accident at Latur

CMs of Uttarakhand and M.P release money for the deceased kin in Uttarkashi bus accident

Uttarakhand is a well-known tourist spot and a perfect pilgrimage destination. Approximately, pilgrims in the number of lakhs visit Uttarakhand’s famous temples and shrines. However, a few pilgrims had something else written in their fate. 22 people died in a bus accident while travelling from Gangotri to Haridwar...

58-year-old Indian dies in US Immigration Custody at Atlanta Airport, 8th person to die under ICE this year

A 58-year-old Indian man named Atul Kumar Babubhai Patel died in the custody of US Immigration officials at a hospital in Atlanta. Patel was detained last week for allegedly not possessing necessary important documents while entering the country, as a result of which he was held for two days at Atlanta City Detention Center...

Molten lava, heating waves, dark smog… Can anyone escape from this phenomenon of nature? Volcanoes are the ‘angry side’ of our Mother Earth which burns everything to ashes. These volcanpoes have swept the human species earlier in 20th centuries. Let us read about top five deadliest volcanic eruptions that still send the chills down the spines. ..

Death toll rises to 42 in Iran coal mine explosion

At least 42 people are killed in last week’s week's explosion in a coal mine in northern Iran’s Golestan. Notably, when this massive blast took place in a coal mine it was reported of killings of only two peoples but as search crews moved forward they found more 40 bodies which took the death toll to 42. ..

8 killed, 26 injured after a bus-jeep collision in Jharkhand

An average of 400 people die every day on Indian roads. While in Jharkhand, the numbers of road accidents is increasing day by day. Recently, 8 people of a marriage party have been killed and 26 others have been injured in an accident between a bus and jeep in Jharkhand yesterday...

Fire in kerosene shop kills 14 in Chhindwara district of MP

Aurangabad-Hyderabad train derails; no casualties

In a series of train derailments happening across the country, yet another derailment occurred near Khalgapur railway station in Karnataka. The Aurangabad-Hyderabad passenger train derailed between Khalgapur and Bhalki station...

At least 44 passengers killed after private bus fell into Tons river in Himachal

At least 44 people were killed in a major accident that occurred when a private bus lost its balance and fell into the Tons river in Nerva area of Shimla district on Wednesday. However, the rescue operation is on and the death toll may increase...

The beautiful country of Italy with the snow-clad mountains encountered an earthquake with the magnitude of 6.2 yesterday. The Mayor of Amatrice, Sergio Pirozzi has warned the tourists to not take selfies amidst the rubble of the devastated community. As much as 300 people died in the Italian hill town of Amatrice. It is one of the strongest earthquakes for the small town to bear...

285 dead, 1073 injured during Myanmar’s water festival ‘Thingyan’

During the four-day annual ‘Thingyan’ Water Festival in Myanmar, 285 people died while 1,073 were injured, official media said Tuesday. The state-run newspaper reported 285 people were killed and 1,073 others injured as 1,200 crimes and accidents occurred across the country. Compared to last year’s figures of 967 crimes, 272 deaths and 1,086 injured cases, 233 more cases and 13 more deaths occurred in this year’s water festival...

Plane crash kills 5, injures 4 in Portugal

Portuguese capital Lisbon witnessed a plane crash yesterday. The plane crashed in the west vicinity of Lisbon, near a supermarket in Tires. The plane hit a lorry, killing three of its passengers and a lorry driver. From the local report, it has been informed the Swiss pilot also died...

Cyclone Maarutha may trigger rains in Odisha: MeT Department

As heat wave strikes in regions like Maharashtra, Odisha seems to fight with heavy rains due to cyclones over the sea. Cyclonic Storm, Maarutha, lay centred over east central Bay of Bengal, about 735 km East-Southeast of Paradip, which may trigger rains or thundershowers at few places in Odisha, said MeT department...

At least 314 people killed in giant mudslide in Colombia

At least 314 people are killed in the giant mudslide that slammed into the southern town of Mocoa last week. In this unfortunate incident over 102 children were also killed. The mudslide hit after heavy rains caused three rivers to flood, sending a sea of mud, boulders and debris crashing into the town...

Ten people killed in Russian metro station blast

Columbia mudslide killed 254

Around 254 laid to death and hundreds among them injured in the mudslides occurred in the south-west Colombia on Saturday morning. “Dozens of children are among those killed in devastating mudslides in south-west Colombia”, said the Colombian president Juan Manuel Santos. ..

At least 22 injured after 8 coaches of the Mahakaushal Express derails near Mahoba station in Uttar Pradesh, earlier today. The district magistrate has reached the spot to take stock of the situation. Rescue operations are underway. Also CM Yogi Adityanath directs state Health Minister SiddharthNath Singh to visit derailment site and oversee rescue operation. ..

Cyclone ‘Debbie’ hits Northeast Australia led to power cut-offs in 65,000 houses

A powerful cyclone has hit the north-east Australia damaging buildings, uprooting trees, lashing strong winds, cutting power etc. A monster cyclone ‘Debbie’ has caused massive damage and will continue to last for few more hours...

Blast at Khamaria Ordnance Factory injures 20

The blast at Jabalpur’s Ordnance Factory in 2015 injured 13 people. The history repeated itself when yesterday, around 6:20PM another blast exploded at the Khamaria Ordnance Factory in Jabalpur where 20 personnels got injured. It took more than 3 hours for the 50 fire tenders to control the massive fire. No casualties are reported till now...

At least 250 African migrants feared drowned in Mediterranean sea

About 250 African migrants are feared to have drowned in the Mediterranean Sea after a rescue boat found two partially submerged rubber dinghies off Libya. The Spanish NGO said that its boat Golfo Azzuro had recovered five floating corpses close to the dinghies, about 15 miles off the Libyan coast...

130 dead, several still missing under Koshe landslide in Ethiopia; Rescue operations underway

Until now the death toll has risen to 130 from the landslide at a dump in Addis Ababa city of Ethiopia. Several families came under the massive landslide. Search operations are still on where excavators and rescuers are pulling bodies out from the black mud. Ethiopian government has declared three days of national mourning...

Govt approves ‘National Road Safety’ Policy to reduce road accidents

The Government is undertaking various measures to improve Safety of Commuters. The Ministry of Road Transport & Highways has approved a National Road Safety Policy on Thursday. This Policy outlines various policy measures such as promoting awareness, encouraging safer road infrastructure including application of intelligent transport, enforcement of safety laws trauma care etc...

Somalia drought: At least 110 people die in 48 hours from hunger

more than 110 people have died due to hunger and diarrhoea over the past two days, Somali Prime Minister Hassan Khaire announced on Saturday. thousands of people have begun arriving in the capital city in search of food aid; one feeding centre took in more than 7,000 internally displaced people...

Fault Slip Potential –A new tool to monitor the risk of man-made earthquakes

Stanford scientists have developed a new software tool which will enable energy companies to calculate the possibility of triggering man-made earthquakes from activities associated with oil and gas production...

One of the tallest dams in the United States, Oroville Dam triggered a spillway after heavy rainfall which posed a threat of imminent collapse. Residents living below and near the dam were urgently ordered to evacuate on Sunday...

6.5 Magnitude Earthquake hits Philippines injures more than 100

At least 4 dead and more than 100 people injured after the earthquake with a magnitude of 6.5 hit at night in Philippines on Friday. Damaged caused to several buildings and also led to the power failure at the airport...

The Eastern region of Africa is facing one of the worst droughts in decades, resulting in food insecurity and high levels of malnutrition. Notably, Kenya, Ethiopia and Somalia are the three countries which are affected very badly by drought. Due to less rainfall in two consecutive years combined with the most extreme El Nino in 50 years, have left 5.6 million people in urgent need of humanitarian assistance...

As soon as the moderate intensity of earthquake hits Delhi and other parts of northern India on Monday night, Prime Minister Modi and Home Minister Rajnath Singh immediately spoke to the officials and took stock of the situations. The NDRF teams have been rushed from Ghaziabad to Uttarakhand to conduct rescue and relief operations and have been put on high alert...

100 killed in a series of avalanches In Afghanistan, major highways closed

The death toll from heavy snow across Afghanistan rose to 100 and there were fears the toll could rise as rescuers began clearing roads to remote areas. The avalanches struck after three days of heavy snow, which has destroyed scores of homes and blocked roads mainly in the central and northeastern provinces, making it difficult for rescue workers to reach the stricken villages...

Chennai fights against #OilSpill, operations underway to clean-up the 116 tonnes of sludge

What can be the worst than this! Harming nature and then ignoring it… is what we give back to nature showing our brainless behavior. Humans have brains, don’t they? Oil spill that occurred after the collision of tankers was ignored and now it has reached far towards south affecting marine life. Thousands of volunteers and Indian Coast Guard personnel are still rigorously working to clean sludge from shores...

At least 32 people were killed and over 100 others were injured after nine coaches of Jagdalpur-Bhubaneswar Express derailed near Kuneru station in Vizianagaram district of Andhra Pradesh on Saturday night. The incident took place around 11.30 pm when the train was going from Jagdalpur (Chhattisgarh) to Odisha capital Bhubaneswar. The rescue operation is still underway and the death toll may further increase. The injured have been shifted to hospitals at Parbatipuram and Rayagada...

At least 30 firefighters got killed in collapse of Plasco’s building in Tehran

At least 30 firefighters have been killed and several wounded after a 17-storey building in Tehran collapsed following a severe fire in early morning. Around 200 firefighters were deployed to the scene to take control over the situation. The Plasco building was an iconic presence on the Tehran skyline...

Turkish cargo plane crashed in homes of Kyrgyzstan village killing at least 37

Early morning a Turkish cargo plane flying from Hong Kong crashed into a village in Kyrgyzstan where at least 37 got killed today. The death toll is likely to rise as rescue operations are underway. Also the fire department was deployed to the scene. Many of those who were killed were villagers...

Stampede at West Bengal’s Ganga Sagar Mela led to 6 deaths while several injured

On Sunday, six women died and several injured in stampede at Ganga Sagar Mela- West Bengal’s Religious fair at Kochuberia. The death toll is likely to rise. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has expressed his grief over the loss of lives...

At least 24 people killed, several missing in boat capsize at Bihar

At least 24 people killed, while several others are still missing after a boat carrying 40 people capsized in river Ganga near NIT ghat at Patna on Saturday evening. According to eyewitnesses, over 40 persons were returning from diara area after participating Kite festival on occasion Makar Sankranti. This festival was organised by the state government. NDRF and SDRF teams have been pressed into relief and rescue operations...

Taking a serious note about the casualties due to road accidents International giant Uber has announced its partnership with Apollo Hospitals to implement a road safety training programme for its driver-partners in 29 cities across the country...

21 dead and more than 9 lakh people displaced due to floods in Thailand

At least 21 dead and almost more than 9 lakhs of them were displaced due to floods from heavy rainfall in southern parts of Thailand. Millions of people got affected as many villages got submerged in these heavy floods. Many of them went missing as roads took over by flowing river...

More than 100 passengers got injured due to train crash in New York City

Nearly 103 people got injured severely when New York City train got derailed at downtown Brooklyn terminal on Wednesday in morning. A Long Island Rail Road train crashed around 8:30 am. Investigation team is disptached to investigate the scene and carry out the rescue operation...

100 homes burned, at least 19 injured due to wildfire in Valparaiso city of Chile

Fire driven by strong winds swept over forest land in the hills outside the Chilean port of Valparaiso on Monday, destroying dozens of homes, injuring at least 19 people and sending a pall of heavy smoke down onto the city...

Jharkhand coal mine collapsed; At least 40-50 workers feared trapped

At least 40-50 workers along with some machineries belonging to a private coal mining company Eastern Coalfields Limited (ECL) are believed to be trapped after a heap of mud caved- Latmatia mines in Godda district of Jharkhand, a CISF official said on Friday. At least 10 heavy dumper trucks and four pay loaders also got trapped underground. Till now 4 bodies are recovered by rescue team...

15 coaches of Sealdah Ajmer 12987 Express train derailed near Rura railway station in Kanpur Dehat district on Wednesday early morning at 5.30 A.M. In this unfortunate accident two passengers are killed and 28 others are injured...

A powerful earthquake of 7.6 magnitude hits Southern Chile on Sunday morning. Looking forward to the consequences Chile’s National Office for Emergency issued an alert and ordered the evacuation of residents on and around Chiloe Island. Officials lifted a tsunami warning after the quake...

900 cylinders exploded in Chintamani, Karnataka

On Sunday night 900 gas cylinders stored near a go-down exploded in succession near Chintamani in Karnataka. Three trucks stacked with 800 cylinders were reduced to ashes and the explosion left villagers trembling all night...

Stampede in Sabarimala Sannidhanam injures 31 devotees

At least 31 devotees were injured in a minor stampede at Malikappuram at Sabarimala Sannidhanam on the evening of the annual Mandalam festival on Sunday. Like to tell you that 12 devotees amongst 31 are injured seriously and admitted in hospital. The injured have been rushed to hospitals at Pamba and Kottayam. Ayyappa Dharma Sena president Rahul Easwar confirmed most of the injured were from Andhra Pradesh. He also said that police have launched crowd control measures immediately...

Russian TU-154 military plane crashes in Black Sea

Almost 50 died of alcohol poisoning after drinking bath oil in Irkutsk, Syberia

Authorities have declared a state of emergency in a Siberian city after at least 49 people died of alcohol poisoning after drinking a bath oil they hoped would give them the same buzz as booze. An additional 15 people were in critical condition in hospitals in Irkutsk, Russia’s sixth-largest city, with a population of 1.1 million...

Military plane with 39 passengers onboard crashes in Russia

An Il-18 aircraft with 39 passengers and seven crew members onboard has crashed in the Bulunsky district of Siberia’s Yakutia, leading to 27 fatalities, a law enforcement source said on Monday. Seven survivors in the emergency landing of the Il-18 plane in Yakutia have been taken to a hospital in the Tiksi village, a local law enforcement source told on Monday...

Tropical cyclone Vardah hits the coastal region of Tamil Nadu and AP

Chennai, Dec 12 : With the Heavy rain and winds tropical cyclone Vardah hits the coastal region of Tamil Nadu and AP. The cyclone is currently at category 1 strength, but is expected to weaken to a tropical storm with sustained winds of 80 to 90 kmph (5..

Tamil Nadu and its suburbs are likely to have a severe cyclonic storm i.e cyclone Vardah today. Like to tell you that, the coastal areas of Tamil Nadu and Andhra have already experienced a very heavy rainfall and strong wind since early morning. There is an estimate of heavy loss in both the states due to cyclonic wind vardah...

Church collapsed in Nigeria, 160 worshipers killed

A church building collapsed in Uyo on Saturday while service was in session where 160 people may have been killed by the collapse. The collapsed church belonged to Reigners Bible Church International...

Tourists stranded in Havelock island are safe, rescue operations to launch as intensity of the cyclone reduces

More than 800 tourists stranded in Andaman and Nicobar’s Havelock island due to cyclonic weather conditions and heavy rain. In context to this very serious matter Minister of Home Affairs Rajnath Singh has said in a tweet that he is personally monitoring the situations...

Indian Navy on Wednesday has deployed four ships to rescue more than 800 tourists stranded in Andaman and Nicobar’s Havelock island due to heavy rain. Like to tell you that the heavy rain had hit hard to Andaman and Nicobar due to deep depression over Bay of Bengal since two days...

54 people dead and many injured in Indonesia’s Earthquake

At least 54 people were killed and several feared trapped in rubble in a strong earthquake that struck Indonesia’s Aceh province of Indonesia’s Sumatra Island on Wednesday morning according to the head of the Aceh Red Cross. The 6.5-magnitude quake struck Pidie Jaya district at dawn, as some in the predominantly Muslim region prepared for morning prayers. No tsunami alert was issued...

People tag PM Modi with ‘TIME Person of the Year’ title; final decision awaited

While the suspense still exists as who will win the ‘Person of the Year’ title of TIME, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has already won the readers’ preference. PM Modi emerged as the winner of the reader’s poll for the TIME’s title, putting behind other leaders, artists and politicians behind. He came forward as the most influential figure in 2016 among people who voted.The magazine’s editors decide the final Person of the Year, but poll results provide a look at how the world sees these figures. The ..

A nine-member Nepalese Needs Assessment Team visited the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) on Thursday. R.K. Jain, Member, NDMA, welcomed the delegation and explained India's institutional framework for Disaster Management. The National Disaster Management Plan (NDMP), launched by the Prime Minister Narendra Modi, earlier this year and its holistic approach towards Disaster Management spelling out the roles and responsibilities of all levels of Government was also discussed...

Amidst the fear of approaching Cyclone Nada, Tamil Nadu faced a tragic accident on Thursday when a fire at an explosive-making unit killed 10 people. The deaths occurred after the fire triggered an explosion in the unit situated at Murugapatti, which is situated at about 40 kilometers from Tiruchirappalli (Trichy). The reason for the accident is unknown at present but the rescue operations have been started by authorities. The fire fighting units were sent to the spot. At least 15 people have also ..

Kids' injuries from falling TVs on rise in US

China quake toll rises to 89, expected to raise more as communication is cut off

The death toll in the 6.6-magnitude earthquake that hit northwest China's Gansu province has climbed to 89, officials said. Number of persons are still missing and rescue operations are on. Rains in some regions added into troubles. The exact number of casualties and nature of damages are still not known as communication with many villages has been cut off...

At least 25 people are killed and more than 300 injured, many of them seriously, when China’s north west region jolted by 6.6 strong earthquake and its aftershocks Monday morning. Strong aftershocks were felt till afternoon Chinese local time. Some aftershocks were as strong as 5.8 and 5.9 and they were continued to occur till the news is being published...

Series of severe earthquakes rattles New Zealand capital region

New Zealand capital wellington and its surrounding areas in central New Zealand have been rattled by many ‘severe’ earthquakes within few hours starting Sunday morning, some of them being 6.5, 6.8 and 6.9 in magnitude. No casualties are still been reported by the authorities, but Government sources say that the property damage may be severe. The tremors were continued from last few days, hitting the area from various depths from various epicenters around Sheddon town in Central New Zealand...

'India sitting on a tinder-box of tragedies; guilty must be punished'

Is India sitting on a "tinder box" of tragedies, waiting for accidents to happen that jolt the country's conscience for a while, before warnings go unheeded in the build-up to another tragedy round the corner? Concerned citizens say that unless our attitudes change and the guilty are held accountable and punished, such tragedies will continue to happen...

RSS prepares rehab scheme for Uttarakhand

Rains wreak havoc in many states

Heavy rainfall lashed the National Capital Saturday, flooding almost all important roads in Delhi throwing the traffic out of gear even as the flood situation states of Andhra Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand etc. remained grim on the second day today. ..

Torrential rain triggers urban flooding in China

Andhra flood situation grim, army on standby

Army troops were on standby for rescue and relief operations as the flood situation in Andhra Pradesh turned grim with incessant rains for the fourth consecutive day and the alarming rise in the level of Godavari river. ..

The Archeological Survey of India [ASI] has clarified that the Kedarnath temple is structurally strong and safe and the building is stable, holding ground thru the cloud burst devastation around it last month. There were some reports in some section of the media yesterday, which quoted ASI, stated that the foundation of the Kedarnath temple has been damaged due to the cloudburst-landslide. According to the senior ASI officers, the foundation of the temple is safe and sound...

Four killed, 12 missing in Colombia landslide

Students across country suffer due to polluted water, mid-day meals, iron supplements

Close to the incident of Bihar, around 155 girl students fell ill Thursday after taking midday meals at their school in Neyveli in Tamil Nadu, a senior official said, adding 13 had been hospitalized. ..

Wells Fargo grants $100,000 for Uttarakhand flood relief

Wells Fargo, an American multinational banking and financial services company, has made a $100,000 grant to provide flood relief and rehabilitation in the Uttarakhand and Himachal Pradesh areas in north India...

58 dead, 175 missing due to China floods

Apple to investigate iPhone electrocution case from China

After media reports and criticism on social sites about a woman dying from electrocution from iPhone in China’s Urumki town, Apple has declared that it will ‘fully investigate’ the case. The young woman died yesterday of electrocution trying to use an iPhone while it was recharging, her family said. ..

Hard lessons learnt from Uttarakhand : NDMA

The unprecedented rain-flood tragedy that hit Uttarakhand a month ago has taught the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA), the apex body for disaster management in India, how to better manage such natural calamities, says a top official...

Over 5,700 missing; Uttarakhand still counting losses

Uttarakhand Chief Minister Vijay Bahuguna Monday said that over 5,700 people are still missing. But,even a month after a cloudburst and flash floods unleashed death and destruction, Uttarakhand administration is still not able to completely count losses, both physical and financial...

MiG-21 fighter plane crashes in Rajasthan, pilot killed

One killed in fire onboard Indian tanker off Malaysia coast

An Indian sailor is feared dead in a fire onboard an Indian oil tanker MT Samudera off Malaysian coast on Monday. 22 other crew members, all-Indian nationals, were rescued from the burning tanker, Malaysian media reported. All of them are undergoing routine medical observation at the Pontian Hospital, at the time of publishing the news...

Generator explosion kills 14 in Yemen

18 killed in stampede in Indonesia

At least 18 people were killed and dozens injured in a stampede as spectators Sunday night fled an amateur boxing match in a sports hall in Nabire in Indonesian province of Papua, said authorities Monday. ..

Army opens new route to Kedarnath shrine

Bihar rivers in spate, thousands marooned

Flood waters entered over 100 villages in Bihar in the past 24 hours, forcing people to abandon their homes, as many rivers in the state rose and posed a threat to other villages too, officials said Thursday. ..

Alarming groundwater radiation reported at Fukushima

Groundwater radiation levels reported alarm 90-folds increase in last just 3 days at Japan’s Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant site. A devastating tsunami after a strong 9.0-magnitude earth-quake had destroyed the power plant in March 2011 spreading large scale radiation in the region. ..

12 killed as hotel collapses in Secunderabad

'RSS actvists were first to help stranded pilgrims in U'khand'

Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) swayamsevaks were the first to report at the calamity-striken areas of Uttarakhand to participate in relief and rescue operations to shift the stranded pilgrims to safer places. ..

'Pilots tried to abort landing seconds before crash'

Pilots of the Asiana Airlines Flight 214 tried to abort the landing less than two seconds before the plane crashed on the runway at San Francisco International Airport Saturday, according to officials. Three Indian nationals were among the 305 survivors of the crash that killed two Chinese girls and left 49 seriously hurt. ..

Dawoodi Bohra head priest donates Rs. 14.21 cr for U'khand

In what can be considered to be a most humane gesture, the Head Priest of the Dawoodi Bohra community, Syedna Mohammad Burhanuddin has donated Rs. 14.21 crore towards the rehabilitation of the people and reconstruction of the infrastructure affected by the month long crisis at flood ridden Uttarakhand. ..

Nepal temple will carry on Kedarnath prayers

On a request from an Indian holy man, a Hindu shrine in Nepal has started prayers and rituals which were being carried out at Kedarnath temple in the Indian state of Uttarakhand before it was damaged in floods, an official said here...

Two killed, 61 hurt as Korean jet crashes in San Francisco

Two people were reported killed and at least 61 injured as an Asiana Airlines flight from Seoul crashed and caught fire while landing at San Francisco International Airport in California on US West Coast Saturday...

Rain-triggered mudslides in Tibet

Relief work in Uttarakhand badly hit by fresh spell of rain

Relief operations on Saturday were badly hit by a fresh spell of rain at most places in Uttarakhand, including Rudraprayag, Chamoli and Uttarkhashi districts, with choppers carrying relief material not flying due to low visibility conditions...

Survivors face psychological problems, state apathy

For three days, Atul Negi, 29, was a possessed man -- he lost his voice, turned violent and needed at least seven people to hold him down whenever someone asked him how he survived in the floods that have wreaked havoc in parts of Uttarakand and killed hundreds, perhaps thousands...

U'khand survivors face psychological problems, state apathy

For three days, Atul Negi, 29, was a possessed man -- he lost his voice, turned violent and needed at least seven people to hold him down whenever someone asked him how he survived in the floods that have wreaked havoc in parts of Uttarakand and killed hundreds, perhaps thousands. ..

5.1 magnitude quake hits Pakistan

Kedarnath Valley to be fumigated, says Uttarakhand minister

As the rotten smell of decomposed bodies, animal carcasses and floating wood makes it difficult for rescuers to remove the dead buried under mounds of rubble in Kedarnath Valley, the Uttarakhand government is planning to fumigate the area with herbal spray...

Hundred Badrinath pilgrims await evacuation, says NDMA

Rescue operations at Badrinath in flood-ravaged Uttarakhand have not ended yet, as about hundred pilgrims and 200 local people are still to be evacuated, a disaster management official said Wednesday...

Govt to make efforts to restore Kedarnath glory

The Kedarnath Temple in Uttarakhand was "partially destroyed" and suffered serious damages in the recent floods but government would make all efforts to restore it to its "original glory", Minister of Culture Chandresh Kumari Katoch said on Wednesday...

6.1 magnitude earthquake of kills 22 in Indonesia

Atleast 22 people reported killed and many injured by the 6.1 magnitude strong earthquake in western Indonesia’s Aceh province, that trembled the land on Tuesday afternoon. The number of casualties may increase as the rescue workers and volunteers still fanning across the quake hit areas searching the debris of collapsed buildings and clearing the rubble of the landslides. ..

Terming the devastation in Uttarakhand as a "partly man-made disaster", BJP leader Murli Manohar Joshi has called for setting up a central authority to evolve a development model for the entire Himalayan region...

ABVP salutes Indian Army jawans for heroic role in U'khand

Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) today observed ‘Sena Ko Naman” (Salutations to the Army) programme all over the country to congratulate the brave soldiers of Indian Army and to commemorate their heroic deeds in rescue and relief operations for those thousands of pilgrims who found themselves trapped in the recent natural disaster in Uttarakhand. ..

MHA's disaster response comes under PAC's criticism

The functioning of various organisations set up to tackle disasters has came under sharp criticism of a Parliamentary committee which slammed the Union Home Ministry for failing to take quick decisions on several crucial issues, affecting the performance of the response agencies...

India seeks World Bank, ADB help to rebuild Uttarakhand

India has sought financial and technical assistance from the multilateral development agencies, especially the World Bank and the Asian Development Bank (ADB) to help rebuild infrastructure in flood ravaged Uttarakhand...

'ISRO performed its role well during Uttarakhand floods'

Uttarakhand govt bans construction along riversides

Taking lesson from most devastating floods in recent history, Uttarakhand government on Monday banned construction along river banks in the state and decided to set up a regulatory authority that will scrutinise future constructions and rebuilding efforts...

Uttarakhand toll 882, over 3,000 still missing

Over a fortnight after floods and landslides ravaged it, Uttarakhand Monday set up a reconstruction and rehabilitation authority to oversee relief work in the state. Chief Minister Vijay Bahuguna put the deaths in the calamity at 882 and said 3,068 people were missing. ..

19 firefighters die in US blaze

Wild fire killed 19 firefighters Sunday in Arizona, forestry officials of the US state confirmed. It was the biggest ever firefighter tragedy in the state as the wild fire in the Yarnell Hill ripped through half of the town, according to reports reaching Los Angeles. ..

Contaminated ice-cream sickens 30 Pakistani kids

10,000 an estimate, many bodies still buried under debris: U’Khand minister

Uttarakhand health minister Surinder Singh Negi on Sunday did not discount the state assembly speaker's claim that 10,000 people have perished in the rain-flood tragedy, saying it was an "estimate" as many bodies are still buried under mounds of debris in the Kedarnath valley area...

Three dead in China boat capsize

Three fishermen's bodies were recovered but five remained missing Saturday in China after a boat, carrying 11 people a day ago, capsized off the coast of Shandong province, authorities said. Three others were rescued. ..

More areas flooded in Assam as rivers rise

More areas were flooded in Assam Saturday due to surging waters of Brahmaputra river and its tributaries, which continued to swell due to incessant rains in Arunachal Pradesh, officials said. There was no report of casualties. ..

Uttarakhand assembly speaker says 10,000 dead, Shinde says 900

Confusion prevailed over the death toll in the Uttarakhand tragedy with state assembly Speaker Govind Singh Kunjwal Saturday claiming over 10,000 people had perished while union Home Minister Sushilkumar Shinde said the death toll was 900. ..

We will rescue everyone in Uttarakhand, says army chief

Indian Army chief General Bikram Singh said Friday that the armed forces will continue their operations till all the people are rescued from various locations in flood-hit Uttarakhand but did not specify a timeline as relief efforts depended on the weather conditions...

RSS opens 15 centres in U'khand to help flood victims

According to a release issued by Sewa International these centers are located at Rishikesh, Chamba, Dhansali, Joshimath, Karnaprayag, Chamoli, Srinagar, Netwar, Haridwar, Dehradun, Pokhari, Dhatyud, Uttarkashi, Guptkashi, and Maneri. ..

Uttarakhand should have been handed over to army : Azam Khan

Uttar Pradesh Minority Welfare Minister Azam Khan has said that all flood-affected areas in the hill state of Uttarakhand should have been handed over to the Indian Army. He also strongly condemned the handling of the crisis by Vijay Bahuguna, the Uttarakhand CM of Congress, media reports say. ..

Longest suspended bridge collapses in Kasargod, opened only two months ago

Media reports showed India’s longest suspended cable bridge collapsed on Thursday in Kasargod district in northern Kerala, injuring two persons. The Madakkal bridge was newly built and was opened only two months ago on April 29 at the hands of a Kerala minister. ..

Five Assam districts take brunt of floods

The flood situation in Assam remained grim in at least five districts Friday, as reports came in that more villages were being submerged with rising water levels in the Brahmaputra and several other rivers. ..

Apathy of Uttarakhand Govt: Flood victims still waiting for help

There is flow of relief to flood victims from states and foreign, but it is yet to reach the victims due to listlessness of the government. What could be term as apathy of Uttarakhand government, relief material sent for flood victims is still stranded on roads...